A grand jury has indicted a rural Kentucky sheriff who gunned down his longtime choose pal in his chambers throughout a heated trade — in a vicious homicide that might make him eligible for the dying penalty.
Thursday’s choice comes greater than two months after Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, 43, was captured on chilling surveillance footage allegedly pulling out a gun and pointing it at District Choose Kevin Mullins’s head moments earlier than ruthlessly firing eight rounds at him.
Mullins, 54, died within the chambers the place he served for 15 years.
Stines, who surrendered instantly after the capturing, asking police to “deal with me truthful,” now faces one rely of homicide of a public official — a cost that might land him on dying row, if convicted.
The boys, who have been pals for 30 years, had lunch collectively hours earlier than Stines allegedly pulled out his gun contained in the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg on Sept. 19.
The alarming footage confirmed Mullins, who was sitting behind his desk, elevating his arms in concern and trying to show away moments earlier than Stines fired off pictures.
Mullins was hiding underneath his desk when the sheriff approached him and allegedly shot him twice at shut vary earlier than leaving the chambers, the disturbing footage exhibits.
Extra footage from contained in the chambers — not proven in court docket or launched — captured the sheriff utilizing his and Mullins’ telephone to make a number of calls to his daughter simply earlier than the cold-blooded slaying, Kentucky Detective Clayton Stamper testified final month.
Stamper confirmed that police discovered Stines’ daughter’s telephone quantity saved within the choose’s telephone
Following his give up, Stines advised police, “They’re attempting to kidnap my spouse and child.”
Whereas a motive nonetheless isn’t clear, protection lawyer Jeremy Bartley beforehand known as the slaying against the law of ardour that was carried out as his consumer was experiencing an “excessive emotional disturbance.”
Authorities additionally recommended the homicide was being investigated as a attainable intercourse scandal however have but to elaborate.
Stines, who retired from his place lower than two weeks after the capturing, has since been held at Leslie County Jail.
The gun-wielding sheriff might be arraigned on Monday.
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